Once, I thought I knew it all. Once, I thought I was part of a new generation where the old fears, the old negatives would fall away, wither at the roots and die, useless, unwanted in a new world of promise. Once I thought that the old hatreds had mostly died out and would once and for all extinguish themselves. Once and for all. Once. Not now.
Once I thought the music of the old countries, the Alte Heim, were of no more use, reminding us of a world which had spit us out, burned us out, killed us off. I was wrong. The new hopes, the bright dreams, once so vivid, have faded away, and the old colors of hate have revived - as have the meanings and ties to the old songs of a people long living under life or death situations, mainly death for too many.
Once I spurned the songs of those times. What did they have to do with me? Why would I sing or listen to one which painted with longing notes a wish, a memory of a town of Belz and the life lived there. That was the same Belz which witnessed so many of my people killed, burned, lynched, raped, slaughtered, turned out and away. Why, why, would I like that music?
Why?
Because it appears to be that the Wheel of Time is still broken and insists on reverting to old times, bad times, times of which we would paint with rose colored brushes, dreaming of a time when we believed we were actually a part of that old country, where our childhood was seemingly a pastoral dream, a dream which haunted us even as we faced the nightmares of the present.
"Where do I/we go? Where shall I/we stay?"
Eternal questions, asked through the ages, seemingly with no permanent answers, or if indeed permanent, we wished otherwise. These are questions whose cause and responses should be clear, addressed, but never seem to be; rather than withering away, becoming superfluous, they grow, they hide, they reappear, they become the voice of the deluded and the mentally ill, drowning out others and blocking the light of day, smothering us in a night of fog and fear.
Unfortunately, we are living in the early days of such a time. Worse, we are living them in a world which we thought had passed the final death throes of such times, in a country which represented the hopes and dreams of a true home, a true welcome, a true chance to live that dream, especially for our children. A real life, not one of false memory.
I/We were wrong.
The specter of the ugly truth haunts us still.
Once again - again - the sting of violent hatred is alive and well, finding nourishment in the population, drawing blood from us. Once again.
Once again, we must turn to music, often in minor key of mournful sound, bursting with longing, fear, hopes and pleas. And, when necessary, with defiance and the same raised fist as is shown to us.
Eternal statements. Eternal questions.
Here are some of those longings and questions as seen in lyrics, English and Yiddish. Pertinent as well are the songs of others in the same oppressive, rights denied, hopeless, yet hopeful. Please take the time to read these words to the end. Then answer the questions - if you can. If you want to.
"One day to a new beginning There's a new world to be won
Raise the flag of freedom high! Do you hear the people sing?"
"Belz, mayn shtetele Belz,
Mayn heymele, vu ich hob
Mayne kindershe yorn farbracht…
Mayn heymele vu ich hob
Die Sheine Chalomes a sach.
Belz, my littel town of Belz
My home, where my childhood days passed
Belz, my home town of Belz
In a small and simple room
Where I would sit and laugh with all the children.
I would run with my prayer book every Shabbat
To the banks of the river,
And sit under the green tree.
Belz, my littel town of Belz
Belz, my home town of Belz
My home, where I dreamed so many
Beautiful dreams."
"Our Town is Burning! Undzer Shtetle Brent -1936
It’s burning! Brothers, it’s burning! Oh, our poor town, alas, is burning! Angry winds with rage are tearing, smashing, blowing higher still the wild flames—all around now burns! And you stand there looking on with folded arms, and you stand there looking on—our town is burning!
It’s burning! Brothers, it’s burning! Oh, our poor town, alas, is burning! The tongues of flame have already swallowed the whole town and the angry winds are roaring—the whole town is burning! And you stand there looking on with folded arms, and you stand there looking on—our town is burning!
It’s burning! Brothers, it’s burning! God forbid, the moment may be coming when our city together with us will be gone in ash and flames, as after a battle—only empty, blank walls! And you stand there looking on with folded arms, and you stand there looking on—our town is burning!
It’s burning! Brothers, it’s burning! Help depends only on you: if the town is dear to you, take the buckets, put out the fire. Put it out with your own blood—show that you can do it! Don’t stand there, brothers, with folded arms! Don’t stand there, brothers, put out the fire—our town is burning!"
1941 - same author - eternal hope -
"Get up man! It’s dawning,
The beam says to me,
Here’s a sunbeam-bouquet, look up and see,
It’s springtime, the time of good news,
Soon will come blossoms, and seeding, and birds,
And nestlings and freedom and bright cheerful words
For all mankind, and for you also, Jews.
Lagevniki, May 1941"
AND THE DEFIANCE!
"The Jewish Partisan’s Song, Zog Nit Keinmol, is one of the most powerful songs ever written. The lyrics of the song were written by Hirsch Glick in 1943. He was a young Jew in the Vilna Ghetto. During World War II, the song was sung by Jewish resistance fighters. It was a symbol of resistance for the Jews in their fight against the Nazis.
AND CONTINUES TO BE SUNG TODAY.
The Jewish Partisan’s Song, Zog Nit Keinmol, is one of the most powerful songs ever written.
Zog Nit Keinmol is considered one of the main Yiddish anthems of the Holocaust. It was sung in the ghettoes, later by Holocaust survivors and at Holocaust memorials all over the world.
Here is a translation of the song:
Never say this is the end of the road.
Wherever a drop of our blood falls, our courage will grow anew.
Our triumph will come and our resounding footsteps will proclaim: We are here!
From the land of palm trees to the far off land of snow,
we shall be coming with our torment and our woe.
And everywhere our blood has sunk into the earth, our bravery and vigor will blossom forth!
We’ll have the morning sun to set our days aglow.
Our evil yesterdays will vanish with the foe.
But if time is long before the sun appears, let this song go like a signal through the years.
This song was written with our blood and not with lead.
It’s not a song that summer birds sing overhead.
It was a people amidst burning barricades that sang the song of ours with pistols and grenades.
So never say you go on your last way.
Though darkened skies may now conceal the blue of the day.
Because the hour for which we hungered is so near.
Beneath our feet the earth shall thunder: We are here!"
AND THE ETERNAL HOPE:
"Don't let the light go out!
Don't let the light go out!
Don't let the light go out!
It's lasted for so many years
Don't let the light go out!
Let it shine through our love and our tears
DON'T LET THE LIGHT GO OUT!!"
AND YET -
The head of GoyimTV, the video platform of the antisemitic group Goyim Defense League (GDL), recently said he's moving his headquarters .... to Florida.
"The once-great party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan has turned its back on the ideals of liberty and self-governance," he said. "Instead, it has embraced lies and deceit. The Republican party used to believe in a big tent... Now, we shelter the ignorant, the racist, who only stoke anger and hatred."
DON'T LET THE LIGHT GO OUT!!"
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